New Grammar of Life Roundup consists of relevant papers, articles from various sources which try to highlight the accelerating telescoping of change based upon events impacting the environment & society which are increasingly surfacing all over the globe. These disturbing trends only reinforce the view that its now or never for us to implement radical NGL solutions which may help in decelerating and finally regress the rate of change of degradation of the environment and climate change and humanity. These disturbing events are selected randomly from web news relating to climate, environment, society, individuals, economies, finance and commercial organisations.
The primary objective is to raise the level of awareness about the rapidly changing scenario in order to create interest in people so that a movement starts which would lead to implementation of solutions which can dampen the rate of change towards any untoward irreversible tragedy impacting mother earth and humanity as we know it.
12th may 15
Sovereign Man - Notes from the Field
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April 27, 2015
Cancun, Mexico
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“One of the major problems in human nature is our deeply flawed
perception of risk. We find comfort in crowds, and even in the face of the most
obvious data, we adopt a herd mentality.
Right now, most major governments are insolvent, central banks
are borderline insolvent, pension funds are nearly insolvent.
Financial markets are in massive bubbles. Banking systems are
highly illiquid and in some cases charging their customers negative interest
rates.
And yet, people allow themselves to be convinced that everything
is just fine. My neighbor’s not worried, why should I be?
It’s a sign of our times that it takes so much courage to
acknowledge reality.”
above is an excerpt from one of the best research newsletters in world. its a voice crying in the wilderness of usa where wall street carries on as if its business as usual. difficult to break nations and people out of the stupor and euphoria of of living in the most developed stage of humankind with technology having transformed our lives beyond recognition. this hold good for for top 5% of the world for whom the good times are always rolling on. for the next 45% its about trying to reach and catch up with the top 5% if not in actuality atleast in some pale imitation where life is in the tv shows. the bottom 50% is so busy trying to eke out a miserable existence of two square meals a day in bustees and shanty towns in leaking rooms where children are peddling drugs. yes indeed it is potpourri of lives as world lurches from crises to crisis and nature's fury is compounding every year with greater extremes of climate. paralysed we wait for godot....
25th apr 15
- since the 50s till recently, us fought so many wars abroad in the name of freedom and against communist regimes like in korea, vietnam, iraq, afghanistan...now there are us commandos known as special operators in as many as 81 countries round the globe training local armies in fighting extremists, terrorists, rebel groups, etc. some of these are involved in proxy wars....this has intensified during the past decade or so...
- HIV cases have risen in some us rural counties indicating high usage of iv use of heroin and other drugs...a frightening trend of an affluent society sinking deeper into drugs and alcohol...these trend are actually global since there is quantum increase in youth also in emerging markets resorting to hard drugs...unfortunately alcohol which is the most harmful intoxicant is legal in all places...while a harmless and wonderful herb like ganja or cannabis is illegal....misplaced priorities of a lobby driven world where alcohol is legal and the mafia promoted lethal heroin is clubbed with harmless grass....
18th apr 15
- russia and china want to build 5 nuclear power plants in iran. strange how a small country like iran will have so many nuke power plants...business at the cost of imperiling the planet.
- fed tells largest us banks that they can buy municipal bonds and can use them for liquidity ratio purposes. again the fed is encouraging banks to invest in risky bonds. the bonds scenario gets scarier.
- europe awash with -ve yield bonds. even the banking software cannot handle these deals! the realms of impossibility.
9th apr 15
drones now to herd cattle, sheep not canines. farmers say that they do not have to feed the drones daily.
how fast we are assimilating drones, robots into our daily lives. suddenly one day we will find we are swamped by machines who can think better than us....towards the age of singularity...
5th apr 15
us has upgraded is biggest bunker buster bomb: http://www.wsj.com/articles/pentagon-worked-to-improve-biggest-bunker-buster-bomb-as-iran-talks-unfolded-1428078456?tesla=y. this weapon is being tested is us. the purported reason being striking iran's nuclear facilities some of which are embedded within mountains, in case the nuclear deal fails or is breached.
its global arms race and warmongering doublespeak at its best. ironically us is trying to stop iran from developing nuclear weapons for next 10 years by working towards the nuclear deal along with few other countries. the deal is a flawed one where there is lack of clarity at several points, major one being when iran can restart its nuclear missile development and also the details on checks which us can do. the deal is also making israel paranoid. in several ways its also upsetting the middle east delicate tinderbox balance of internecine violence where already there are so many criss cross conflicting interest battles and skirmishes with the dreaded isis being latest terror on the block.
oil of course is a central theme here which will allow iran to step up production and further aggravate the plummeting oil prices. again there is another angle of capitalism at its best by helping iran develop its nuclear power facilities where several companies are waiting in the wings to make lucre out this. just to recall, if we rewind to early 90s, a similar treaty was signed with north korea, which in a few years was undone with north korea claiming it had the nukes, and the rest is history of horror with kim flexing his fat nuclear muscles every now and then!!! indeed this as complex as global neo post bipolar world war mongering nuke politics can get.
4th apr 15
toyota, world's largest car manufacturer, is now planning to set up new plants in china and mexico to cater to growing markets of china and us. these plants will take probably couple of years to set up. then toyota will increase its market shares in these regions. rivals volkswagen, gm and volvo are similarly upping their capacities. since the downturn in 2008, there was a glut in auto market. now again with decline in oil prices, market is promising.
this is indeed a frightening portend, one one hand govts are placing before un plans to reduce co2 emissions by 30% or so by 2025, but on the other hand there is no let up in building up huge capacities in these weapons of mass destruction like alluring SUVs, etc and more gigantic houses with all energy guzzling amenities. humankind is living in a delusional state of double think. the death wish syndrome of humanity is strengthening to fearful proportions.
1st apr 15
Obama Administration Submits Plan for Cutting Greenhouse Gases
Part of a major global effort to curb emissions of carbon dioxide; other economies that formally submitted are EU, Mexico, Norway, Switzerland and Russia
The Obama administration formally submitted its plan for cutting greenhouse gases nearly 30% by 2025, part of a global effort this year to curb emissions of carbon dioxide.The move adds pressure on other countries—including Australia, Canada, and India—that haven’t spelled out concrete plans.
The U.S., the second-biggest carbon emitter after China, has taken a leading role in recent months in negotiations with nearly 200 nations to strike an agreement through the United Nations to rein in gases blamed for global warming. “Our target will help spur others to step forward with targets of their own,” said Todd Stern, the U.S. special envoy for climate change.
Republicans used the announcement to amplify criticism of President Barack Obama’s federal emissions rules, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell warning other countries that Congress could stand in the way of promises the White House makes in the negotiations.
Ironically there is opposition from republicans. first this obama plan maybe too little too late. then the GOP want to reduce the targets. its really a grim outlook for 2025-30. at current trends the east coast of us could face devastating snow storms. temp highs are going to be atleast 2 deg c higher. california a desert. suicidal to the core. then we say lubnitz had suicidal drive. actually society has a whole is bent on suicide for the goodies of modern life. lubnitz is a symptom of the broader malaise.
31st mar 15 WSJ
Energy’s New Legal Threat: Earthquake Suits
In key test for industry, Oklahoma homeowner blames quake damages on wastewater wells
After an earthquake
toppled her chimney, sending rocks crashing through the roof and onto her
legs, Sandra Ladra didn’t blame an act of God. She sued two energy
companies, alleging they triggered the 2011 quake by injecting wastewater from
drilling deep into the ground.
Ms.
Ladra’s lawsuit, now
before the Oklahoma Supreme Court, highlights an emerging liability question
for energy companies: Can they be forced to pay for damages from earthquakes if
the tremors can be linked to oil-and-gas activity?
Oklahoma, with a history of
mild-to-moderate seismic activity, experienced 585 earthquakes of 3.0 or
greater magnitude last year—big enough to be felt indoors—according to the
Oklahoma Geological Survey. That’s more than the state had in the previous 30 years
combined and the most of any state in the contiguous U.S.
So far, most of the tremors under
investigation in Oklahoma and other oil-producing states, including Arkansas,
Kansas, Ohio and Texas, have been too small to cause major damage. But the
prospect of facing juries over quake-related claims is reverberating throughout
the energy industry, which fears lawsuits and tighter regulations could
increase costs and stall drilling.
The mad pursuit for energy is going to leave in its wake earthquakes now and for future generations. We are plundering mother earth. deep into its innards. destabilising the delicate balance of nature and the planet. oh for that last ounce of energy...we can trade our souls and future...
